1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a head-mounted display device.
2. Related Art
There is known a technique called augmented reality (AR) for additionally presenting information in a real environment using a computer. As a method of realizing the augmented reality, a method by image recognition and a method based on a pass-through system are known. In the method by image recognition, information for additional presentation is generated by recognizing an image of an outside scene picked up by a WEB camera or the like. In the method based on the pass-through system, information for additional presentation is generated using present position information acquired by a GPS or the like and direction information acquired by an electronic compass or the like. In a non-transmissive head-mounted display device that blocks a visual field of a user when mounted, an image obtained by superimposing the image of the outside scene and the information for additional presentation generated as explained above is displayed on a liquid crystal display. Consequently, the user can feel the augmented reality. On the other hand, in a transmissive head-mounted display device that does not block a visual field of a user when mounted, only the information for additional presentation generated as explained above is displayed on a liquid crystal display. The user can feel the augmented reality by visually recognizing both of the information for additional presentation displayed as a virtual image via the liquid crystal display and a real outside scene seen through lenses in front of the eyes.
There is known a technique for informing, making use of the augmented reality explained above, a user of work content and a work procedure that the user should perform. For example, Japanese Patent No. 3735086 (Patent Literature 1) describes a technique for, in causing a translucent liquid crystal display panel included in a transmissive head-mounted display device to display an animation, superimposing the animation on a work target itself that a user visually recognizes via the liquid crystal panel. JP-A-2011-114781 (Patent Literature 2) describes a technique for selecting, in a retina scanning type head-mounted display device, information related to work being performed by a user and enabling the user to visually recognize an image based on the information.
With the techniques described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2, it is possible to support work performed by the user. However, when the user is about to start work keeping in mind the animation or the image displayed as a virtual image, the virtual image displayed in front of the eyes of the user is likely to block the visual field of the user and hinder the work.
Such a problem occurs not only in the work support that makes use of the augmented reality. Such a problem is common to display of a virtual image in general in a head-mounted display device that enables a user to visually recognize a virtual image and an outside scene such as the transmissive head-mounted display device and the retina scanning type head-mounted display device.
Therefore, there is a demand for a head-mounted display device capable of improving visibility of an outside scene according to the intention of a user.